The Brothers from the Dagestani Region Making Their Mark in MMA and at Man Utd.

Ibragim Ibragimov smiles as he reflects on how his family's life has evolved since moving to England from Dagestan a decade ago.

"I am fond of it here," the PFL star remarks.

"We often remark, 'this is the nation I should have been born in.'"

The 21-year-old left his home in the North Caucasus of Russia because his father was convinced a move covering more than 3,000 miles promised better professional opportunities for him and his brothers.

The original idea was for Ibragim and his three brothers – Amir (17), Gazik (16), and Muhammad (15) – to finish school before joining one of the country's colleges.

However, reality now looks quite distinct for the Ibragimov household.

Ibragim is now a pro MMA athlete and is seen as one of the top talents in the PFL, a prominent MMA league.

His siblings have taken a separate route in sport and have all been contracted by Manchester United – with Amir pushing for a position in the senior squad.

"The primary goal for us is to extract the maximum out of our sports," explains Ibragim.

"I want them to play for all of the best teams in the world. Now it is Man United, in the future it could be a another team."

From Grapplers to Soccer Prodigies

Situated in southern Russia, Dagestan holds a mythical status among combat sports fans for producing a number of UFC titleholders in recent years.

The region has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the combat sambo discipline and producing a host of Olympic and world champions.

This success is no accident, however, as children from the region are often encouraged to begin combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they can stand.

"When I was a kid, my dad was constantly instructing me and my little brothers that we needed to be strong, firstly to protect ourselves, your family, and your friends," states Ibragim.

"Therefore we all got used to combat, and that's why people understands how to fight in Dagestan. It's not a surprise."

"Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the move from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my younger brothers a lot."

"Many of the footballers he faces don't have the same foundation he possesses. That's why he's solid, powerful and incredibly competitive – due to wrestling."

Amir was just nine years old when he was put through his paces at Sheffield United. Not knowing of his real age, trainers placed him with boys significantly older.

He was unfazed by the mistake and was perfectly comfortable competing against older players because of his background in wrestling.

"They believed Amir and I were the same age, apparently," remarks Ibragim.

Amir was signed, along with Ibragim's little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.

The family's stay in South Yorkshire was brief, however, as just weeks after joining the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir's ability and he moved across the Pennines consequently.

"They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick," recalls Ibragim.

"One of their scouts watched him play and picked him immediately."

Half a dozen years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, Amir became one of the most youthful players in the club's history to practice with the first team when he did so in April 2023.

"Know what he told me? 'Here is where I belong'," Ibragim reveals.

"Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? Absolutely. They need to let all the youthful players get game time right now."

"In my opinion they would play less effectively than the current first-team players. I think the youngsters are hungrier than the present squad members."

Following that, Gazik and Muhammad, the younger once on the books of Manchester City, have likewise made the move to Manchester United.

"Gazik, this youngster is gifted," continues Ibragim.

"He learned every skill quicker than the others. He's a good defender. He's going to be like a modern Rio Ferdinand for Man United."

'The Dream' to Fight at the Theatre of Dreams

Ibragim has now moved to Manchester and spends most of his days sharpening his MMA abilities at Manchester Top Team.

In August, he spent three weeks in his native region at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym, assisting Islam Makhachev get ready for a November UFC championship bout.

"I never have thought I would be training under Khabib," Ibragim says.

"He was the greatest fighter in the world – and we constantly used to look up to him when we were growing up."

"Today, I'm here in his gym and sparring alongside Islam Makhachev."

Recently training with two UFC champions from Dagestan, it is unsurprising Ibragim says he is eager to win a world title of his own someday.

But that does not stop him from occasionally dreaming of representing United and stepping out on the historic turf at Old Trafford, much like his brothers.

"I had a PlayStation at home and I always used to play as Man United, scoring goals with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez," he says.

"Today, for my brothers to be Man United players, it's like a dream come true."

"An event at Old Trafford? It's a goal for me. I was discussing with the PFL officials about it to see if they could do it. It would be massive."